The one thing I would be concerned with is floor height, having another layer added on to two vinyl floors and original hardwood. Would you have door clearance, would adjacent rooms be on the same level? If you go with solid hardwood, it is pretty darn thick.

We have no doors in the dining room....only open doorways. It would be nearly level with the kitchen. It would not be level with the living room, but we think we can do a sloping threshold of some sort.

My concern is the layers of vinyl underneath the hardwood. Hardwood doesn't like sitting on vinyl and vinyl doesn't like sitting on hardwood. The two do NOT like each other.

If you think this is a good idea (which it is considered on the technical side of things a horrible approach to this) then you might have to add another layer of subfloor. A nice, fat, thick 1/2" plywood to cover those two layers of vinyl. Now you can go ahead and lay the hardwood.

Technically, my suggestion is hideous. It is atrocious. It is so "unprofessional" that I could weep. But if you insist on leaving the vinyl in place, then you need to think of a way to separate the vinyl from the hardwood sitting on top....and one very sure way is with plywood.

Again, my suggestion is a travesty. Then again so is laying hardwood over two layers of vinyl. In the flooring world, we 'allow' ONE layer of resistant flooring (like vinyl) to sit underneath another floor.

For example: the first layer of vinyl was considered "OK" to lay another layer of vinyl over top. All good. No one in the technical department batted an eye. If a THIRD vinyl floor was proposed (or a laminate, or linoleum, or cork, or hardwood, or tile, or even carpet) it would be a "NOOOOOOOO! STOOOOOP! DON'T DO IT!" type of answer.

So I will officially say: No. Stop. Don't do it. There. It has been said.

That being said, if you as the homeowner choose to forgo the installation instructions and the "Best Practices" as set out by the National Wood Flooring Association (as homeowners your word is "law" when it comes to things like this), you are welcome to go ahead and lay hardwood over two layers of vinyl.

If you do it, I suggest a new layer of plywood to help things along - because you need FLAT. And most "old hardwoods with two layers of vinyl sitting on them" are anything but flat.

Good luck. You would be better off remediating the asbestos/vinyl and getting down to bare hardwood. Now a new floor (with the help of a layer of plywood) can go down. Or you remove the original hardwood with the vinyl (this is easier to do than scrape off the vinyl...and easier = cheaper) and start with a new layer of subfloor and go after it like it should be done.

But as homeowner your word is "law". If you tell a professional to "just do it", they will say "yes ma'am/sir" and do it. But they will not warranty their work. You will be left holding the bag - and all the pit vipers that lay inside. It's your call.

Thanks, Cancork, for your honesty. I can see the concern with the unevenness of the vinyl. It is pulling up already, which is part of my hatred with it. We had already pretty much decided not to put hardwood over it, but that makes me even more determined. I just needed someone to explain why (other than transition and door concerns, as that is not a concern here).

So, sounds like nothing can go down over this wood subfloor/hardwood/2 vinyl layer mess....at least not that will last. Ugh. But, the vinyl and old hardwood could come up together (instead of trying to get vinyl off by itself)? That would lessen the asbestos risk, I assume.

i agree that putting vinyl over the hardwood was an awful decision. I would love to know what in the world previous homeowners were thinking!!

Cancork, if we remove the vinyl and hardwood together so that the original wooden subfloor is exposed, couldn't we have hardwood directly installed on top of the original subfloor (assuming that it is in good shape)?

Today's code requirements for subfloor are different from when the floor was laid 78 years ago. For today's builds a 2 layer subfloor is required. Once the old hardwood is gone, you will then have to assess what is under there...and what is needed (deflection rating for wood joists has it's own requirements for each level of "spacing").

The "starting point" for subfloors (and this is builder minimum for carpet...which is not always good enough for hardwood) = 2 layers of subfloor/underlayment material that reach a MINIMUM thickness of 3/4".

For hardwood floors and tiles, these "minimums" aren't always enough. Deflection ratings come into play. And if you want some fun that will help you fall asleep, try reading those print outs for joist spacing, substrate + plywood thickness. That is some serious snoorfest reading.

As you can see, this gets very complicated inside of 3 heart beats. No one can offer technical support from a chat forum on the internet. A hardwood flooring professional will be able to assess the subfloor (thickness and joist spacing) once the old FLOORS are removed. And that person will then give you a list (should be the length of your arm) of things that need to be done to get this to work with a new hardwood floor.

These old homes are lovely and charming...but they take some SERIOUS effort to get "new stuff" into them (other than carpet and paint). Good luck. Please bring in an NWFA Certified Flooring Installer to have a look at what is left after the vinyl is removed (asbestos remediation is going to take a big chunk of your budget).

If you are doing a kitchen remodel, and this flooring exists in that space...you may want to have everything removed to the STUDS and reassessed. It might just be cheaper, easier, faster that way. But "cheap" is a relative term. It could still be a pretty hefty bill.

Oay, I see. Thank you for all of that information! Thankfully, this is not in the kitchen.

Weedy, sorry I have taken so long to respond. So much has been going on! I did look at your photos. WOW! That was amazing!! Thanks for the info. :) :)